SAN JOSE, CA\u00a0(June 12, 2026)\u00a0\u2013 PWHL San Jose today announced that defender Mariah Keopple has been signed to a two-year Professional Women\u2019s Hockey League (PWHL) Standard Player Agreement ahead of the team\u2019s inaugural 2026-27 season. Keopple joins PWHL San Jose with a contract through the 2027-28 campaign and becomes the team\u2019s eighth player and third, following forward Maggie Connors and defender Hadley Hartmetz, to complete the team\u2019s Phase 3 additions in the PWHL\u2019s Expansion Player Distribution Process.<\/p>\n
Keopple spent the 2025-26 season with the Seattle Torrent, recording three points (3A) across 29 games while providing defensive stability on the blue line. The 25-year-old native of Menomonie, WI, spent the first two seasons of her professional career with Montr\u00e9al, joining the team as a training camp invite prior to the inaugural season, and was one of only five rookie defenders to appear in all 24 regular-season games. In 82 career games, Keopple has notched 10 points (3G, 7A) and saw action in seven postseason games with the Victoire in 2024 and 2025. Keopple played collegiately at Princeton University, earning All-Ivy League honors as a junior (second team) and senior (honorable mention) and garnering ECAC All-Academic Team honors three times. With a passion for style and fashion, Keopple launched her own brand, Riah The Label, and designs her own game-day outfits.<\/p>\n
On PWHL San Jose, Keopple becomes the team\u2019s third defender and reunites with Connors (teammates at Princeton), forward Kristin O\u2019Neill (teammates in Montr\u00e9al), and goaltender Corinne Schroeder (teammates in Seattle). She follows the team\u2019s Phase 2 additions of\u00a0forwards Anne Cherkowski, O\u2019Neill and Maddi Wheeler,\u00a0defender Rory Guilday,\u00a0and Schroeder. All eight of PWHL San Jose\u2019s players have been signed to two-year contracts.<\/p>\n
At the end of the Phase 3 signing period, each expansion team will have up to eight total players by signing a maximum of three players on expiring contracts during this phase. Existing PWHL teams may protect three players under contract for the 2026-27 season, and\/or players on expiring contracts signed during this phase, to bring their total protected lists to six players.\u00a0The\u00a0Phase 3 signing period continues until Friday, June 12 at 3 p.m. ET, followed by a 5 p.m. ET\u00a0deadline for existing teams to\u00a0submit\u00a0their protection lists\u00a0prior to the Phase 4 signing period.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A complete list of player signings and transactions is available on the official\u202fPWHL Transactions Page<\/a>. To see the full overview of the status of PWHL player contracts, visit the PWHL Contract Guide\u202fhere<\/a>.<\/p>\n ABOUT PWHL\u00a0SAN JOSE\u00a0 PWHL, the PWHL Logo, and PWHL team names and logos are trademarks of the PWHL. \u00a9 PWHL 2026. All Rights Reserved.\u00a0<\/p>\n
PWHL\u00a0San Jose\u00a0is one of 12 teams in the Professional Women\u2019s Hockey League (PWHL), which was founded in 2023. The PWHL began its inaugural season in January 2024 and features the best women\u2019s hockey players in the world. PWHL\u00a0San Jose\u00a0was\u202fofficially announced<\/a>\u00a0as one of the league\u2019s four new expansion teams on May 19\u00a0and will debut at\u00a0SAP Center\u00a0in the fall. Fans can place a time-stamped deposit\u202fhere
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